Deadline: February 15, 2017 | Register here
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Eligibility: Teams limited to a maximum of four members, all of whom must be enrolled in a graduate program at the time of the prospectus submission, and the team cannot include more than one member who is pursuing an Executive MBA.
Prize: USD 15,000 in prizes will be awarded to the winning teams
The Kellogg-Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge 2017
The Kellogg-Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge harnesses the power of capital markets and student creativity to create the positive impact in a world of perpetual resource scarcity and continued population growth.
Every year, the Kellogg School of Management and Morgan Stanley partner to host the challenge where teams of graduate students from around the globe develop and pitch creative financial approaches to tackle our world’s most pressing challenges.
Contestants must propose and defend a strategy that uses finance and investment tools rather than an operating enterprise to address an environmental or societal challenge. The competition is an opportunity to apply core finance principles to target the economic, social and environmental challenges that drive the field of sustainable investing.
Pitches might focus on areas like water, energy, food, social mobility, climate change, education or healthcare, among others. Contestants are encouraged to apply the entire spectrum of investment tools, styles and asset classes.
The Challenge seeks to identify the next generation of sustainable finance practitioners, connect emerging leaders with industry professionals, and foster an even greater emphasis on sustainability at graduate schools around the world.
Guidelines
Institutions seeking investments may include but are not limited to:
- University Endowments
- Retirement and Pension Funds
- Family Foundations
- Family Offices
The proposal must be a fit for an institutional investor who is seeking:
- Both competitive returns and positive social and/or environmental impact
- Risk management that is commensurate with the target returns
- Transparent performance metrics for both the financial and social return
- Clear linkage between program outcomes and social impact
The institutions are open to multiple asset classes, including but not limited to:
- Private equity/venture capital
- Real assets
- Public equities
- Fixed income securities
- Microfinance lending and investing
The Kellogg-Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge is looking for innovative investment ideas that balance the tension between financial and social return rather than sacrifice either priority. There is no limitation on asset class or investment vehicle and teams are encouraged to think creatively. The focus is on investment vehicles and fund strategies versus companies.
Application Process
Step 1: Begin identifying a social or environmental challenge you would like to address and form your team. Brainstorm potential financial innovations to develop.
Step 2: Develop your Idea Find or request a mentor and iterate on your idea, developing your prospectus to address the financial opportunity, impact potential and overall viability.
Step 3: Teams of graduate students are invited to submit a two-page prospectus that outlines an innovative financial vehicle that addresses a sustainability challenge and meets the requirements of an institutional investor (social operating enterprises are not applicable).
Step 4: Ten finalist teams will be selected from the pool of submissions and the finalists will present their proposals to a panel of judges at Morgan Stanley in New York on April 7, 2017. A panel of experts from some of the world’s leading financial and impact investing institutions will review and judge the pitches.
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